The ASU men's and women's tennis teams are ready for a relaxing individual tournament as they head off to compete in their respective Pac-10 tournaments.
Both the men's and women's tournaments start today and continue through Sunday in Ojai, Calif. The tournament will have doubles and singles competitions but is not considered a team tournament.
Both ASU teams said they see the Pac-10 tournament as an easier test because the team pressure is not there.
"I think it's good to have the team out of there and just go out there and play for yourself for a weekend," women's tennis coach Sheila McInerney said. "You have three months of team, team, team and the pressure of that. It's sort of nice to go for an individual situation."
Men's tennis coach Lou Belken said he agreed and said the tournament gives the players some extra chances for the post season.
"It is an individual event and the design of it is to give opportunities to guys to get in NCAA wins to get into the national individual tournament," Belken said. "It's at a time when it's a break from the dual matches but you can still keep your guys competitive."
For the women, ASU is sending seniors Adria Engel and Mhairi Brown, junior Cindy Sureephong, and sophomore Lauren Colalillo for the championship singles flight. Sophomore Joslynn Burkett and Paulie Fabian will be playing in the invitational singles flight.
For the doubles championship, the duos of Brown and Sureephong and Engel and Colalillo will represent ASU.
Engel became the first ASU player ever to win the Pac-10 tournament as a sophomore and McInerney said Engel has a chance to do it again.
"She will be one of the top seeds for sure. She has a good chance to win I think."
Brown said she feels that the Sun Devils haven't had the best ending to their season but said that the Pac-10's will get them ready for NCAA regional competition.
"We have had a bit of a disappointing end to the year, in terms of losing our last few matches, but everyone starts again from zero when we go to regionals. We are up for really getting back on the board."
The men's singles championship flight will feature senior Pim Van Mele, juniors Chris Stewart and Olivier Charroin, and freshman Chris Letcher. Freshman Ryan McBride will represent ASU in the singles invitational draw.
Playing doubles for the Sun Devils will be the duos of Charroin and Stewart and Van Mele and McBride. Despite the lack of team pressure, Stewart said he feels that the tourney will be tough due to the competition.
"It's quite ridiculous how strong this tournament is. It's going to be a lot of tough matches. Hopefully we can do well," Stewart said.
Belken said he feels that the progress the team has made should help it in the tournament.
"We'll have a 3-3 record in the conference and I'll be very surprised if we're not a top-32 seed in the NCAA," Belken said.
Several members of both teams won't be going due to injuries and are holding off for the regional matches. From the women's team, senior Meagan Yeats and junior Dora Krstulovic won't be going.
"I am not going because of my wrist," Yeats said. "For Dora and myself, who are really injured, it's not that smart of us to go and risk really hurting ourselves and taking us out of the post season."
For the men's team, sophomore Clint Letcher won't be going and Belken said the team will make sure they don't push Stewart too hard as he battles the tendonitis in his knees.
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Reach the reporter at kelley.karnes@asu.edu.
